This may be an odd question, but has anyone seen any site online that offers some sort of beginner pack for pens? I'm not sure what kind/type/style I like and am hoping to try a bunch before purchasing anything. I'm reminded here of WarbyParker eye glasses..where you can effectively rent 5 pairs for a week to see what you like.

Ideally I would find 2-3 that I like, with at least one for daily notes/office work and one for handwritten notes. Your thoughts or recommendations? My price range is definitely on the lower end of the spectrum.

Twsbi are good. I forget the names but the Chinese pens on ebay for 10ish are supposed to be good

I have a bunch of the chinese ones, they're really hit or miss. Baoer, Yongsheng, and Jinhao are the big brands. Some work great, some are utter garbage. Some somewhere in between. Fun to play around with- many of them look spectacular, and if you get one that works well, they're great value, but I wouldn't recommend it if you don't have an idea for how a decent pen is supposed to feel.

For a starter, I'd recommend Cross, they have some nice entry level models. The Bailey or the Stratford are both high quality, affordable pens, and easy to find on e-bay. You'll have to buy the converter separately, but they're very reliable pens that write quite smoothly.

What about the pilot metropolitan? Seems to have replaced the popular pilot 78g.

A family member gave me a Waterman Exclusive from the 80s so that will be my first once I get it up and running.

It's a popular and well regarded pen, but unlike the Crosses, I have no personal experience with it.

And a Waterman Exclusive is certainly a hell of a starter pen, what shape is it in? Might want to have it cleaned and have the nib tuned by a pro if you have one in town. If not, the nib is likely fine to use as is, just give it a nice flush. If there's old dried ink in the feed, an overnight soak might be justified.